Sept of the Looking Glass
Information The Caern of this Sept is located deep within the Richard Matthews Forest Reserve atop the Defiance Plateau, which looks immediately down over the Crystal Springs neighborhoods of Diamond Valley, Highcliff, and Lyons. While some sky scrapers manage enough height to peer over the sheer cliff face of the plateau, no eyes can penetrate the dense canopy of the forest, nor the rocky terrain that shields much of the plateau from view. The Sept In spite of the Sept's currently small population, Looking Glass has a long and eventful history, so local tradition tends to run strong. All tribes are welcome within its borders, though the Uktena and Gaians tend to monopolize leadership positions. This affords the Sept at large a relatively liberal mind with regards to humans, the Litany, and the other changing breeds. The rule of thumb remains, however: Don't push your luck. Sept Positions * Silent Elder/Alpha: Rommy Akana * Grand Elder/Beta (if different): Nicholas Grey * Warder: Rommy Akana * Guardians of the Bawn: Rommy Akana, Heather Akana, Starcaller * Guardian Pack: None * Master of the Rite: Ishmael Chavez * Gatekeeper: Starcaller * Keeper of the Land (Groundskeeper): Nicholas Grey * Master of the Challenge: Heather Akana Moot Positions * Caller of the Wyld: Ishmael Chavez * Master of the Howl: * Talesinger: * Truthcatcher: Heather Akana * Wyrm Foe: Urick Garret Council of Elders (AKA The Silent Council) Generally, it doesn't get any higher than the Council of Elders (except for the Warder on matters of caern defense). This is the ultimate aspiration for any politically-minded Garou; only becoming a leader of the entire tribe is higher. There's no particular prerequisite for this office - everyone in the sept will know when a werewolf's deeds are so impressive and his character so impeccable that he's earned a seat on the Council. Once there, he and his fellow elders are charged with the welfare of the entire caern; no small matter. In the Sept of the Looking Glass, however, the Council of Elders (Grand Council) is the house of Commons to the Silent Council's house of Lords, in a sense. It is possible for a character to be a Sept Elder but not have a seat on the Silent Council. To have a seat on and attend the Silent Council one must be attuned to a Shard of the Silent Circle. With so many fetishes still at-large, the Silent Council is mostly dormant, and the Council of Elders reigns over the Sept. However, should a meeting of the Silent Council ever be called, it may overrule any decision made by the Council of Elders. No one individual may be leader of both the Silent Council (Alpha) and the Council of Elders (Beta). * Black Furies: None * Bone Gnawers: Starcaller * Children of Gaia: Rommy Akana; attuned. * Fianna: None * Get of Fenris: None * Glass Walkers: Nicholas Grey; attuned. * Red Talons: None * Shadow Lords: David Green * Silent Striders: Dead * Silver Fangs: Charlie Townsend * Stargazers: None * Uktena: None * Wendigo: None The Bawn The Forest Reserve is broken into three distinct parts by the Sept: The Outer Bawn, The Inner Bawn, and the Rear Bawn. While there are traditional guardians for each of these areas, the bawn is ultimately neutral ground for all the tribes provided no area is claimed as territory. Pack or tribe territory may not be claimed from the Inner Bawn, but the other areas are fair game. ; The "Outer" Bawn (SFR #106, EFR #103) : Consists of the Eastern and Southern Forest Reserve. This is the area most traversed by visitors to the Forest Reserve. Campgrounds and hiking trails are plentiful in this region, particularly towards the edge of the plateau near the high rises. As this area is traverses often by humans, it is only nominally considered part of the Bawn and not actively patrolled by the Guardians. The Inner Bawn below and Crater Ridge are the true Bawn areas. Traditionally, the Children of Gaia, foresty Bone Gnawers, and visiting Glass Walkers tend to the Outer Bawn and dissuade visitors from exploring further. *Kin and friends of the Garou are welcome in the Outer Bawn without escort. ; The "Inner" Bawn (NFR #112, WFR #109) : Consists of the Northern and Western Forest Reserve. This area is very wild, and usually only visited by the most enthusiastic of campers and hikers. This is actual Bawn territory patrolled and claimed by the Guardians. In addition, the Get of Fenris, Red Talons, and Black Furies would patrol this area and chase intruders back towards the Outer Bawn. *Unless otherwise stated, Kin and friends of the Garou are allowed on the Inner Bawn with an escort. ; The Rear Bawn (Crater Ridge #340) : The third area of the 'triangle' bawn that surrounds the Caern. While the land slopes down from the the Defiance Plateau, the Defiance Cliff rises up into a ridge towards the south, and another ridge rises to the north, offering this area a crater-like appearance. The trees ares less sparse in the this area than in the forest reserve, but the flora is still plentiful. *Unless otherwise stated, Kin and friends of the Garou are allowed on the Rear Bawn with an escort. The Caern The Looking Glass Spring is a large, bubbling mineral hot spring that feeds Riddle Creek, and thus, Riddle Falls. The spring itself is oddly clear despite its mineral nature, and often used for divination. Soaking in the waters is a pleasant, comfortable experience that soothes all aches and pains, and given time, can erase all recent wounds despite their severity. There are many tales of limbs regrowing in hours, and terrible battle scars dissolving in minutes. Sadly, the spring has no effect on the dead, no matter how recent their passing. It is the right of all Sept Members to soak in the spring whenever they wish, within reason. Tainted characters are expressly forbidden from using the Caern, and risk being expunged violently by Panlong, who takes his duties very seriously. Removing water from the Caern is a serious offense if not first cleared by the Warder. ; System, Divination : The difficulty of any divination which uses the Caern spring as a medium is reduced by 2, and the likelihood of clear, understandable messages is much higher. ; System, Healing : For Mortals or non-regenerating forms, bashing damage is healed at one bashing/minute. Lethal damage heals at one lethal/ten minutes. Aggravated damage heals at one aggravated/hour. : For regenerating forms, bashing and lethal damage heal within a minute of soaking in the spring. Aggravated damage heals at one damage/ten minutes. Keep in mind that the glory loss for healing a fresh battle scar applies as normal. A fresh battle scar may be healed as long as the Garou maintains unhealed damage from the encounter in which the battle scar was gained before entering the spring. When that damage is gone, the Garou will have to negotiate with a spirit of healing to have the scar removed, as the springs themselves will be insufficient. : The Rite Of Waking Waters is a ritual created by theurges of the Looking Glass Sept in times past, and allows the waters of the Caern to be contained, transported, and used on wounds elsewhere within a certain time period. Otherwise, the moment any water is taken from this spring, it is reduced in potency. Instead of the above, it merely halves the recovery time of any wound that it is used to clean, or halves recovery time of internal issues if ingested. ; System, Gauntlet : The difficulty to pierce the gauntlet at the Caern is 2. The Umbra of the Caern and immediate area (the close Rear and Inner Bawn) is generally safe even during the day and dark moon, as neither Panlong, nor the guarding Garou will suffer malevolent spirits. The Gauntlet in the surrounding Bawn area is 3. Panlong The current guardian of the Caern and patron spirit of the Sept is Panlong, an ancient Chinese water dragon of Uktena's brood. This spirit is very tied to the Caern, having been around since the 40s, and so is usually nearby in some form or another. Old as he is, the spirit recognizes and appreciates pure breeding, though any Garou that shows the proper respect and humility in front of the dragon will quickly earn his approval. Panlong is generally ambivalent towards tribe or breed, though he does tend to warm more quickly towards the Uktena, Silver Fangs, Stargazers, and anyone with Asian (particularly Chinese) ancestry. Violence in the Caern does not please Panlong, who insists the place should be treated with respect and kept peaceful to maintain the place's clean energy. Spirits of peace and healing tend to scatter when Rage erupts, and this irritates the dragon, who has roped said spirits into acting as his courtiers. Ultimately, however, Panlong leaves judging and punishment up to the Garou, and only takes action himself when he feels the Caern is in imminent peril. Still, the dragon has a long memory, and will not easily forget or forgive those that soil the place (outside of healing wounds). Panlong's form is relatively stable for a fluid spirit, and he appears as the coiled, horned dragon of Eastern fame. His scales are a deep blue-gray, but shimmer with iridescence. His horns and teeth tend towards a pearly color, as does the upright mane of scales that begins at his head and ends at the tip of his feathery tail. Panlong has four legs, each with five clawed 'fingers' that are quite capable of gripping intruders and tossing them unceremoniously away from the Caern. Behind all the pomp and ceremony, Panlong does have a sense of humor, but this is simply hearsay for most Garou that don't get past the dragon's authoritative exterior. While speaking with Panlong is not difficult, as he understands Mother's Tongue, getting him to reply in the same is a different monster entirely. The process of finding, fetching, and convincing a Garou with Spirit Speech to translate or speak to the dragon on one's behalf is a ritual and tradition (like many) that please the dragon's sense of ceremony. Only those that have earned his respect will be graced with the opportunity to speak with the dragon without a translator. Note that even those with Spirit Speech are going to have to play up the pomp to keep the dragon pleased. If you would like to have an audience with the Great Eastern Dragon of Sublime Austerity (he does enjoy creative titles), please contact a wizard. 13 Shards of the Silent Circle Also known as the Silent Circle fetishes, these items are powerful artifacts entrusted only to tribal elders through a ritual known only by the same. Holding one of these fetishes demands participation in the Silent Council. Most of these were lost during the Recurrence and remain at-large. Basic Tenets The following are taboos established during the creation of the Silent Circle fetishes. Breaking them will lead to serious social and spiritual consequences. A Silent Circle fetish... *... is forbidden from being used in any honorable challenge. *... may never be used against another Garou unless all practical options are exhausted. *... may not be used for mundane purposes unless doing so is the only option left to save a life. (Mundane means any situation not related to the Hope-Drinker, including: Fighting typical fomori, BSDs, banes or even lighting a cigarette). *... is more important than its wielder; it is to be saved at all costs. *... must always be in the hands of a tribal elder. *... may not be used in any case where the Veil might be broken. This rule overrides all situations not related to the Hope-Drinker. The Silent Council Active until the recent tragedy, the Silent Council is the House of Lords to the Council of Elders' House of Commons. The former Council has been charged with protecting the Shards of the Silent Circle, and preventing the revival of the Hope-Drinker. The latter Council focuses on daily Sept issues. They are usually one and the same, but not always. Creed * I am one of many. * I am a keeper of gates. * To know the truth is to have a voice. * To use the truth is to break the key. * Gates do not remain closed with a broken key. * A broken key will not lock a gate. * The truth is in our Circle. * But we have no voice. * We are silent. Recent History *See the Timeline for a general overview. *See the Sept Timeline for recent happenings. Looking Glass